Sparker for explosive-engines.



W. H. FERGUSON.

SPARKER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. I915.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Smamtoz mfZFerguson [Si-M,

Willia WILLIAIVLH. FERGUSON, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SPARKER FOR EXPLOSIVE-EN GIN ."ES.

Application filed March 12, 19-115,

provide improved means whereby the dura- .is a plan view showing the parts approachtion of the contact in such devices is abbreviated and the leavingof the contacts closed made impracticable so as to avoid waste of electrical energy.

A further object of the. invention is a construction in which contact is made only when the motor turns in the proper or normal direction.

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described, the features of novelty being pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 ing the sparking position, the contacts being out of contact. Fig. 2 shows a similar view without the insulating plate but showing the contacts in contact. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 00-03 Fig. 1.

In the views 5 designates an insulating plate and 6 the motor shaft which is rotated by the engine, as usual. 7 is a disk keyed to the shaft 6 and having projecting from its rim several noses 8 with inclined cam edges. These noses correspond in number to the number of cylinders to be fired.

Mounted on the shaft 6 adjacent the. disk- 7 is another disk 9 having cam noses 10 corresponding in number to the noses 8. "One edge of each of the noseslO is inclined and the other straight or radial to. theaxis of the'sh'aft: The disk 9 is loose on. the shaft but is attached thereto by a spring 11 which tends yieldin ly to hold the disk 9 with the noses 10 an 8 --out ofregister with each other andithe noses'10 in advance of the noses 8.-

- Fulcrumed on'a pin" 12 on the plate 5 is alever 13 carryingat one end an adjustable contact-14. snitably. electrically insulated from the, lever by insulating material 15; and at. theother end with a cam projection 16. The'projection 16"1ies in the pathof movement of the noses 10 only. A- spring- Specification of Letters Patent.

the noses 8 and 10 of both jection 16. Further'rotation of the platddjbears upon that 13, which carries the prois providedjon the plate 5 to limit the outward position of the contact 14.due to the pressure of the spring 25. In the construction shown the termini of the said lever 13 reach to substantially diametrically opposite sides of the disks 7 and 9.

17 is a stop arm pivotally mounted on a pin 18 on the plate 5; and connecting said arms 17 and the plate 6 is a coil spring 19 tending to draw the free end of said arm 17 toward the rim of the disks 7 and 9. The stop arm 17 is provided at its said free end with a head 20 broad enough to intercept disks 7 and 9. Said arm 17 carries a contact 21, said contact being preferably mounted upon a spring 22 attached to the arm 17 so as to be slightly yielding. The outward oscillation and the normal position of the contact 21 on the arm 17 is limited and determined by a stop extension 17 of the arm 17.

In the construction, as shown, the direction of normal rotation of the shaft 6 is indicated by the arrows. When the shaft 6 is thus rotated the head 20 positively intercepts the nose 10 and increasingly places the spring 11 under tension. Upon continued rotation of said shaft 6 the head 20 comes into contact with an inclined edge of the nose 8 and is by said edge raised beyond the nose 10 thereby permitting the disk 9 under the tension of the spring 11 to be thrown in advance of the disk 7. This throw of the disk 9 brings another of the noses 1O forcibly into contact with and past the cam projection 16 of the lever 13 throwing the corresponding end of that lever outward and the contact 14 inward into electrical contact With the at-that-time raised contact 21. The inward throw of the contact 14 is quick or momentary, and said contact of the contact 1 1 with-the'c'ontact 21 only takes place Patented 3 1, 19 15.

Y manner tending to 'hold the 4 utward.- An adjustable stop 26' while the head 20 of arm '17 is resting upon the crown of a nose 8. The durationof the 1 contact is controlled by thefo'rm of the nose 10 and projection 16 andlthe speed with which that nose 1S' thIOWI1- under said pr 0 shaft 6 from the'position-shown in Fig. 2 permitsthe head 20 to drop off the nose'8 thereby. carrying the contact 21inward into position to engage the next approaching nose 10.

ios

Any reverse rotation or rockings of the shaft 6 cannot produce a contact of the contacts 21 and 14 because the noses 8 and 10 are normally held out of register and cannot be brought into effective register because of a stop pin 23 on the disk 7, said stop pin prethrow the stop arm 17 and contact 21 out ward they do not at the same instant operate the lever 13 to throw the contact 14 inward. It follows, therefore, that the contacts 21 and 14 are never left electrically connected or in such a way as to permit waste'of the electrical energy. I

The electrical energy can be brought from a suitable source to the contact '14 through a wire 27 and grounded in the machine through the other contact as shown and as well understood or in any other suitable manner.

What I claim is:

1. An electrical sparking device for eX- plosive engines comprising, in combination,

a pair of movable contacts, a member for moving one of said contacts to sparkmg position and a tension member movable relatively to first mentioned moving member for bringing the other contact to sparking position.

2. An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising, in combination, a pair of yieldingly held movable contacts, a member for moving one of said contacts to sparking position and tension member movable relatively to the first mentioned moving member for bringing the other contact to sparking position.

An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising, in combination, a pair of contacts, a rotary member for moving one of said contacts to sparking position and a tension member actuated by the rotary member :For moving the. other contact to sparking position.

4. An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising, in combination, a pair of contacts, a rotary member for moving one of said contacts to sparking position and a tension member carried by the rotary member for moving the other contact to sparking position.

5. .An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising, in combination, a pair of contacts, a' rotary member for actuating one of said contacts to move it to sparking position, and a spring actuated member carried by the rotary member for moving the other contact into sparking position.

6. An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising, in combination, a pair of contacts, a rotary member for moving one of said contacts to sparking position, a tension memberactuated by the rotary member for moving the other contact to sparking position and means for intermittently placing said tension member under tension and releasing the same to impart movement to the tension member independent of the rotary member.

7. An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising, in combination, a pair of contacts and carriers-for the same, a rotary member for moving one of said carriers' to place its contact in sparking position, a tension member actuated by the rotary member for moving the other carrier to place its contact in sparking position, the carrier for the last named contact being adapted to place said tension member under tension and release the same to impart movement to said tension member independent of the rotary member.

8. An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising, in combination, a

contact, a rotary member for intermittently moving said contact to sparking position, a second contact and a second rotary member movable independently of the first mentioned rotary member to move that contact into sparkingposition.

9. An electrical sparking device for explosive engines comprising in combination, a pair of movable contacts, a lever carrying one of said contacts and an arm carrying the other, a rotary member having a. plurality of projections for intermittently moving the contact of the arm to sparking position and a second rotary member having a plurality of projections and having a resilient device connecting said rotary member with the first mentioned rotary member and means for intermittently placing said resilient connecting device under tension to actuate said lever to move its sparking device to sparking position.

l/VILLIAM H. FERGUSON. WVitnesses:

BENJAMIN FINCKEL, GEO. W. FINcKnL. 

